1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for reducing law enforcement response times by utilizing an automatic, supplemental data transmission system to communicate warning signals and other information directly to law enforcement or security personnel (hereinafter called "officers"), instead of going through a dispatcher or other intermediaries. This invention is an improvement over the automated, auxiliary data transmission link described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 787,978, filed Jan. 22, 1997, entitled "Automated Data Transmission Link to Law Enforcement and Security Personnel," in which the inventor of the invention of this application is a co-inventor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Industrial business sites, as well as other businesses and residences, are a frequent target of theft. Many businesses are left deserted at night, weekends and holidays, especially smaller businesses without night-time security personnel. To make matters worse, many industrial sites are located in relatively remote areas, and often house expensive and easily transported machinery. Computers and other electronics, for example, are readily resold and make lucrative targets for burglars. The loss of such equipment and the data it contains can result in a great deal of disruption to a business.
To combat industrial theft, many businesses rely on access and security systems maintained by a security service provider. These security systems, while generally effective, are not without shortcomings. In a typical operation, a security system with various sensors (such as motion sensors and smoke detectors) is installed at the "secured" site. The security system is typically connected to at least one phone subscriber line. Following detection of an intruder or other emergency event, the security system is configured to communicate a warning signal to the security service provider via an automatic telephone call or radio message.
Warning calls placed to the security service provider are handled by an operator or employee of the service provider. After determining the nature and location of the warning call, the security service provider employee relays the pertinent information to a law enforcement phone operator. In turn, the law enforcement phone operator relays the information to a law enforcement dispatcher. The dispatcher functions to communicate the information to the law enforcement personnel assigned to cover the geographic region (typically referred to as a "zone") in which the industrial site is located. The same procedure is generally followed when an intruder is detected in a secured residential site. Frequently, however, because of the time this procedure takes, the intruders have left the scene by the time law enforcement personnel are able to respond.
Numerous factors add to the sometimes lengthy response times. First, the operators who handle calls for the security service providers are often overworked and/or under-trained. After receiving a telephone or radio warning call from a security system, the operators may waste precious time deciphering the warning message before communicating it to the law enforcement phone operator. Occasionally, inaccurate information is conveyed due to human error. In addition, security service providers are not allowed a separate direct line to the police department--they must use the law enforcement emergency line that is frequently busy during peak hours. Delays of over ten minutes in completing such a call are not uncommon.
Additional delay arises due to the finite amount of time required for the law enforcement phone operator to relay the warning information to the dispatcher, and for the dispatcher to relay the information to the appropriate group of patrol cars (i.e. the cars assigned to the zone in which the secured site is located). Again, the problem is exacerbated during peak crime hours when numerous calls can be received by the dispatcher in a short period of time.
Further, sophisticated criminals have devised methods of circumventing traditional security measures. For example, many savvy burglars carry portable police scanners. When the police dispatcher relays a call to patrol cars, the burglars are able to intercept the communication and time their departure accordingly. It would therefore be desirable to devise a system wherein warning signals and other information are communicated to cars or other security personnel via secure means that bypass communications over normal police channels. Such a system would ideally also eliminate the possibility of human error in communicating the pertinent information.
Various schemes have been devised for automatically notifying authorities of an emergency. Most of the proposed solutions involve extensive use of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and eventual human intervention in determining how to decipher and forward the emergency information. In addition, automated paging and telemetry systems, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,047 issued to Saunders and U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,291 issued to Stillwell, generally disclose automated communication of a message via a paging system.
These problems were solved by the invention in the pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 787,978 identified above, in which a sensor coupled to a security system detects a signal transmitted by an alarm when it is triggered. The signal is transmitted automatically to a processing computer which, in turn, calls paging devices or other receivers in the possession or control of the officers and transmits information about the whereabouts of the alarm. In this way the information is transmitted to the officers much faster than through the central dispatcher and eliminates the possibility of the burglars intercepting the information over the airwaves.
However, concerns have been raised by alarm companies that the installation or use of such a sensor could affect the operation of the alarm which, although such concerns are unjustified, could potentially operate as an impediment to the widespread acceptance of the auxiliary system. In addition, the auxiliary system requires additional hardware and installation costs for the sensors, automatic dialers and computers, which add substantially to the overall cost of the service.